Broiler rack operating mechanism



May 19, 1953. '-J..F.VCORN, JR 2,638,894

` BROILER RACK QPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 29, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 1 ATTOR N EY Masi;r 19, 19531` J. F. CORN, JR 2,638,894

` BROILER RACK OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 29,44 1950 2 sheets-sheet 2 r James F. (.`orn,J r.Ak

ATTORNEY Patented May 19, 1953 BROILER RACK OPERATING MECHANISM James F. Corn, Jr., Cleveland, Tenn., assigner to Hardwick Stove Company, IncorporatedfGIeveland, Tenn., a corporationA of Delaware Application March 29, 195o, serial No. 152,735

This invention relates to stoves and ranges and more particularly to means for automatically moving the broiling rack ordrawer into and out of the oven compartment and for automatically assisting in closing and holding closed the oven door and in opening the door.

When cooking food in a broiler, it is often desirable or necessarywto inspect the food fre# qently to determine whether it has been cooked to the proper degree and not burned. In order y todo this, the best way to see the food, particularly in a broiler which is-located in the' bottom part of the stove, is to pull the broiler rack or drawer out of the broiler compartment so that a good view may be had of the food.` If this must be done by hand, the cook runs a risk of burning herself in handling the hot broiler rack and also must stoop down low each time. to grasp the rack. It is, forthese reasons, desirable `to have the rack pulled out automatically when the door is opened. Such an action has been provided heretofore in various devices and, in addition, the device shown in Patent Number 2,268,481, granted December 30, 1941, to C, L. Hardwick, provides a toggle and spring arrangement by which the spring helps to closevand holds the doorclosed andyalso, after passing a given point in the opening of the door, helps to open the door. The present invention is an `improvement over the invention disclosed in the aforesaid patent particularly in that the mechanism used in this invention is considerably more simple yand less expensive in construction than that disclosed in thepatent. Y l

One object of this invention is to provide a broiler rack operating mechanism which is simple and inexpensive in construction and reliable in operation.

Another objectis to provide a broiler yrack operating' mechanism which assists in opening the door and in pulling the broiler rack out.

operating mechanism in which the oven door can be left ajar for inspection of the food being cooked While the rack is fully retracted. i

The foregoing and other` objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings' of a preferredembodiment, it being understood that the detailed de'- scription and drawings are merelyy illustrative of the invention, which is defined in the claims. Inthe drawings, Figure l-is a'plan view, partly in section, taken substantially along the line I-I` of Figure 2,

A further object is to provide a broilerrackl showing the positionsassumed by thelever-and 4'Claims. (Cl. 126-340) spring which constitute the broiler rack opl-frat-v ing mechanismvwhen the oven door is in open position in full lines, -and when the door is in closed position in dotted lines.

`Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of a stove embodying the invention and showing the broiler oven door in open position, the broiling pan being shown in section. f

Figure 3 is 'a diagrammatic View illustrating the position assumed by the lever and spring of the broiler rack Voperating mechanismwhen `t'he door is in fully closed position.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the position assumed by the lever and spring whenthe door is partly open, as, for example; about=15 or 20. f Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the positions of the lever and spring when the' door is opened further,as, for example, about Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. According to this invention, a stove or' range I is provided with a broiling oveny or compartment 2 having a door opening 3. 'Ilhe door opening isvnor-mally closed by a door 4 hinged to one sidewall 5.0i the stove 6, for swinging about ay vertical axis.` To each of the side walls 5 and 'I of the broiling compartment is secured apairy of brackets 8 having horizontal flanges between whichv ythe flanges 9 of a broiler rack or drawer;

I0 are adapted to be supported and to slide. 4A plurality of pairs of spaced, horizontally extendlng flanges orledges I I are provided on the inner walls of the rack I0 extending inwardly for sup# porting in adjustable 4positions at desired heights a broiling pan I2y in vsuch a way that the pan may be slid in and out von the ledges and may be removed, 'as for cleaning or close inspection of the foodcontained therein.

The mechanism for automatically closing or opening the door :4 'and for moving the rack I3 in and out of the broiling compartment 2 ron the brackets 8 comprises a lug or ear I3 secureddn a suitable manner, as by welding, to the inner surface of the door 4 near its hinges 6 and extending inwardly therefrom. At the inner 'endofr the lug I3. a round hole I4 is formed therein for removably receivinga round pinor peg 15' fixed to one end of a lever I6, the lever 'thus being pivotally 4attached to the door 4. A slot I'I 1s cut through the other end of the leverand through thisslot ka bolt I8 passes, the bolt also.

passing through aY hole in the bottom of the broilerrack I Il, thehole being near the front end of the rack-and' slightly to the left of its longitudinal center, as seen in the drawings. A sleeve I9 provides the proper spacing of the lever I5 from the bottom of the rack I0 for permitting free actuation of a spring to be described hereinafter. If desired, a friction lreducing bushing 20 may be provided on the bolt I8 below the spacing sleeve I9 to facilitate sliding and rotary movement ofthe' lever ISC: on the bolt, the-asserngY bly beingrheldtogether by a nut 2| placedon the.- end of the bolt.

A tension spring 22, which may be a helicalrl or spiral spring or any other. Suitable type.` of.. tension spring, is secured at one end to the lever I5 near its inner, slotted endisecuredto'thgbolt I8, as by hooking it overa; lugorfingerrZlS: punched out of the lever and extendingup.-A

wardly therefrom in a rearwardl direction. 'Ehe-l other end of the spring is secured to the bottom of the broiler rack III, as by hooking itthrough a lug or ear 2f. punched?, through the bottom of i the-rack. As is illustrated infliigurel, theflug;` 4f-is: solocated that, when: the pin* I 5.'.and1 the holev I4.` in lug; I3.l through-which iti passes-are in a line with the hinge Bf of the door- II;y and with'V the bolt: I8? secured through the bottomfo the rack II), thefspring-22` is in line-with the'centenof.

the; lever II In this way, when the.rv hole |41 in the lug I3 passes in its arcrclosesttothebolt I8; the-.lever I6 isforced, through the-pin- I5,in wardlytoward the bolt Iso that theflat-ter passes.-

toward the outerendof the slot' IrI that istowardr the end of the slot which is nearest: the opening 3of-Sthebroiler` compartment.

The` action of the: lever 1.52 andy spring.y 22T` will: nowbedescribed inY some` detail; reference being made particularly to Figures 3, ll and` 5'of the drawings. In- Figure 3, the. door is illustrated in the" closedy position, in. which there is. onlyslightf tension on the springA 2.2i, onl'yfenough tensoin to hold the door closed being needed. Since the holev I4 in the-lug |31 is Xed inv position relative-tothe hinge Slabout which the doorvrotates; the-hole I4 describes any arc centered at GfWhen t'hedoor is opened and closed, this,l `arc-'being illustrated in construction lines in Figures '3; 4 and 5- of the drawings. Due toV the-tension of the spring; 2-2', which tends-to pull the lever I6- awayifrom thelbolt- I8, the pin I5 ofthelever, iff-not` aiiected4 by other forces, would tend to de;-V

Scribe an arcabout lthe bolt I8 as a center with i spring 22., which, in the closed, position o th'evl door is to the right ofl thelever'l,` as, seenin. Figure, 3, tends to force the lever. and' thus the lug Iilj to the left, and thus holds the door., d.y closed,Y so that no catchis-neededon thestove I,- for thatpurpose.

` When the. door` is opened slightly,A sayv about 15 to, 20, the vparts assume the positiomillusa. trated in Figure 4. The hole. M inthe 111gA I,3 andi thusthe pin I5, on, the lever II,v have, been.v rotatedabout the arc ofthe hole |41 until. they are in` aline with both .thejbolt I 8. and` thehinge 6' of the door. Since this. position ofthe pin I5; is inside theA normal. arc. of the pin. about the bolt` |18^ whenthe rackY lois .all the; Way insidethe oven; 2`` the lever I6 is. forced inwardly. against the tensionV of the spring; 22, movingitsfinner-l end: so. thattthe, bolt. ItLis` in the-outer. end o; the,`

slot I'I in the lever. In this position, the spring is in maximum tension, and movement of the door 4 and the lever I6 in either direction is assisted by the tension of the spring. Thus, if the door is moved slightly inwardly from the position of Figure 4, the tensi-on of spring 22 pulls the lever I6 and thus the lug I3 and the door lI'to theleft, or a closingdirection until theparts assume the position illustratedin Figure 3. If the door is moved slightly outwardly from the position of Figure 4, the tension of the spring 2.2,. pulls.r the lever I6, the lug I3 and the door 4 to the right until they reach a position like that illustratedrin'Eigure.- Actually, when the parts arelefti free toA act. only under the tension of tionf. off. Figure 5, in` which position the;` spring- 22.2 isunder Very littletension and the partswill` remain stationary because the tensionY of the spring: is insui'licient to overcome the'frictionpfVA ThisA position will permit frequent` thefparts. sightingsofv the. food inside-the broiling compa-rt-n mentwithout requiring: the opening of the door.

Anv additionaly advantage of this arrangement;

particularly in-.electricstoves is'that the door will remainfalways in the sameu position and therheatwithinwthe broiler Willthus be kept constant by thethermostat, so that the cooking will be even,

: rather than interrupted, asfit Would loe werethe door to vbe opened and'closed often.

It willvbe observedfthat in the position` illustratediinf Figur-e 5, the pin I5 on the lever- I6 has not yet passed beyondv its normal arcof'A rotation about'the bolt I8"whenthe rack I 0y is `all the Wayin, butthat it is-still on this arc. Thus; thev rack Ilhas not been moved outwardly, butV is in. its furthest inward* position. Although the spring-22is under-some tensionl in this position, thetensionis t'ooslight to move the door and' the rack against the friction of the parts. O ,f course,

theA spring is under the same tension when. the

parts vare in the position of Figure 3, the closedk position, thetension being sujcient to hold, the door closed and increasing as` the door is, opened Slightly,

Iclaim:

1 Al stove ,f comprising a broiling-compartment hafvinv side walls, and. a door opening, bracketsy secured. tosaid-side Walls, a broiler rack havinginwardlyv extending ledges for supporting` a'. pan

andv formedk with outwardly` extending flanges seating,- on:` said vbrackets for sliding movementv through said-door opening, a door.- hinged Iso-,onev

of, said. side walls. for closing saidopening and havinga .lugxextendingtherefrom, a lever parallel. to; said'rackand havingI av longitudinally extenoh` ing.y slot therein at oneA end, means operativelyl associatedy with. said slot by which said` lever-is slidablyI andt pivotalll7 attached to said broiler rack, means Yfor pivotally and ren'lovablyy attache,

ing said lever at its other endto saidvlug; a tension spring parallel tok said-rack. connected; at one'endE to the lever and: at itsfother'end; connectedrtoftherachdnitialmovement of theidoor.-

in one direction causing the lug to align the lever with the spring and to move the lever inwardly relative to the rack resisted by the spring, and further movement in the same direction causing the spring and the lever to assume disaligned positions which will be accelerated by the action oi the spring.

2. A stove comprising a broiling compartment having side walls and a door opening, a broiler rack having inwardly extending ledges for supporting a pan, cooperating means on said rack and the side walls of said compartment supporting said rack for sliding movement through said door opening, a door hinged to one of said side walls for closing said opening and having a lug projecting therefrom, a lever having a pin at one end thereof by which it is removably and pivotally attached to said lug and being slotted at its other end for slidable and pivotal attachment to said rack, a helical spring connecting said rack and said lever at a point near the slotted end of said lever, movement of said door from either a fully closed or a fully open position to aposition open about twenty degrees causing the lug to align the lever with the spring and to slide the lever inwardly relative to the rack against the force of the spring.

3. A stove comprising a broiling compartment having side walls and a door opening, a broiler rack having inwardly extending ledges for supporting a pan, cooperating means on said rack and the side walls of said compartment supporting said rack for sliding movement through said door opening, a door hinged to one of said side walls for closing said opening and having a lug protruding therefrom, a lever parallel to said rack pivotally attached at one end to said lug and having a slot therein, means operatively associated with said slot by which said lever is pivotally and slidably attached at its other end to said rack, a spiral spring parallel to said rack connected at one end near the latter end of said lever and at its other end to said rack, the movement of said door to a nearly closed position moving the lug to align the lever with the spring and to slide the lever inwardly relative to said rack, thereby stretching the spring to put it in tension, from which position of alignment of spring and lever movement of said door, lug and lever in either direction will be assisted by the contraction of said spring.

4. A stove comprising a broiling compartment having side walls and a door opening, brackets secured to said side walls, a broiler rack having inwardly extending ledges for supporting a pan and formed with outwardly extending anges seating on said brackets for sliding movement through said door opening, a door hinged to one of said side walls for closing said opening and having a lug extending therefrom, a horizontal lever pivotally and removably attached at one end to said lug and being slotted at its other end for sildable and pivotal attachment to said rack, a horizontal tension spring connecting said rack with said lever at a point near the slotted end of said lever, the lug approaching closest to the point of attachment of said lever to said rack and thus forcing said rack inwardly when said door is open about twenty degrees, thereby placing said spring under a tension which is suiicient to assist the movement of said lever, lug and door away from the aforesaid position of opening of said door.

JAMES F. CORN, JR.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 390,200 Burr Oct. '2,- 1888 2,268,481 Hardwick Dec. 30, 1941 2,299,052 Dexter Oct. 13, 1942 2,334,641 Moecker Nov. 16, 1943 2,343,409 Goldberg Mar. 7, 1944 2,473,467 Burt June 14, 1949 

